It's getting hot in here
by Happyheart2
Summary: A DRABBLE inspired by a chelsie -anon Prompt on Tumblr.


Elsie watches out the backdoor as the last of the hallboys trots up the drive towards the village. She's been sending her "chicks" home for Mothering Sunday for twenty years, she should be used to it by now. That feeling of emptiness, empty house, empty table, empty heart. Nothing to be done about it at this stage of life. Taking a deep breath & pulling her shawl tighter against the cold March wind blowing through the courtyard, she turns & closes the door firmly behind her. What happens next?

"Beryl?" Mrs. Hughes calls into the kitchen as she rubs her arms to warm herself. "They are gone, I suppose now is as good of a time as any to start." Mrs. Hughes informs her friend as she watches the cook move about in the kitchen.

" Just in time the dough has risen and the eggs have cooled off. Now pull up a stool and I'll show you how my mother used to used to do this." Beryl directed Mrs. Hughes to the stool next to her and handed her a section of dough.

"Is this a sweet dough Beryl? It resembles bread dough." Mrs. Hughes asked as she pushed her finger into the dough she was given.

"Stop that you'll over work it Elsie, you have to be gentle with it." Mrs. Patmore slapped Mrs. Hughes hand and scolded her for playing with the delicate dough. "It's a bread dough, I thought it would be a nice for Master George and Lady Sybbie to have this Lenten treat. My mother used to braid the dough and then place an egg in the center and bake it in the oven. They were beautiful and tasty."

Mrs. Hughes smiled and exclaimed, "My mother used to make something similar to that and it was a sweet bread, it didn't feel quiet like this but it was similar, we made them every Easter season."

"Good, then you should be fine, because we're making one for every member upstairs and the remaining staff down here. Since Daisy is off visiting Mr. Mason I can surprise her with one as well." Beryl smiled at Elsie and then gestured to the dough for Elsie to get a move on it.

They worked silently for a while when Mr Carson came in and saw the two women bent down looking into the oven. "You suppose they are ready Beryl?" Asked Mrs. Hughes as she continued to stare into the oven and turned the baking pan around for the bread to cook evenly.

Mrs. Patmore stood up and wiped her hands on her towel when she noticed Mr. Carson had entered the kitchen. He was staring right at Mrs. Hughes bottom as it was in perfect view. He stood there watching her with a sloppy smirk on his face oblivious that Mrs. Patmore was witnessing that he was admiring Mrs. Hughes' assets.

Beryl threw the towel she had in her hands at the butler and it smacked him right in the face. Mrs. Hughes had just straightened herself up and watched as the towel hit Mr. Carson in the head bringing him out of his trance. The two woman exchanged knowing glances and stood glaring at Mr. Carson with their hands on their hips.

Mr. Carson's face was beet red with embarrassment, as he peeled the towel off of his face, for being caught starring at Mrs. Hughes' rump.

"Mr. Carson, did you enjoy the view?" Beryl asked the now flustered butler.

"I...I...it...I'm...I wasn't...would you ladies like any assistance?" He asked as he rubbed the back of his neck. He was mortified and Elsie was flattered that he was paying that kind of attention to her.

"As a matter of fact yes you can help bring me the next tray of breads that have to go in Mr. Carson... here Mrs. Hughes take this bread, it appears to be finished. Careful now it's hot." Beryl barked her orders at Elsie and Charles.

They were reacting just as skittish as Daisy used to, her few months as assistant cook. Mr. Carson had passed the tray to Mrs. Patmore and as Mrs. Hughes walked away from the oven with the hot bread she bumped into Mr. Carson squishing the hot bread onto his chest, as the egg broke hot yolk seeped through his dress shirt scalding his skin.

Charles immediately let out a yelp of pain from heat of the yolk.

Mrs. Hughes dropped the bread and cried out "Oh my goodness Mr. Carson I'm so sorry..."

He immediately began to take off his vest and jackets and frantically began unbuttoning his shirt, ignoring all rules of propriety.

Beryl ran to the ice box to grab some ice to cool his burn. Charles stood there bare chested. Mrs. Hughes had run over to the sink to wet a towel to help clean Mr. Carson up and sooth his burn.

Elsie tripped as she approached the broad chested butler and fell right into his arms. He caught her before she could have been hurt. He held onto her waist as she quickly got her bearings and frantically began wiping the bit of yolk off of his chest. Her other hand was resting on his chest as the other one slowly stopped cleaning him up.

Charles could feel her chest rising and falling against his. Elsie was so entranced by his smell, and his muscular arms holding her. She always imagined what he looked like undressed like this. Seeing him this way was proving to be a better sight than she had ever imagined laying awake at night alone in her room thinking of him. She moved her fingers in a circular motion feeling his soft hair under her fingers. She slowly lifted her head.

He loved how comfortable she felt in his arms and his entire body was tingling from the sensation of feeling Elsie's hands roaming his chest. He could hear her trying to catch her breath. The pain from the burn was long forgotten.

They stood silently in the middle of the room. Beryl had walked back towards the kitchen with the ice in her hand. As she approached she saw Charles with out a shirt on and Elsie standing with her hands on his chest. The cook stood frozen in her spot just outside the kitchen door, as she saw Charles lower his face to Elsie's and kiss her passionately.

Beryl hid behind the wall and thought she'd give them a moment. She was surprised that her colleagues had forgotten themselves and were behaving this way but she was truly happy that at least they are giving into their feelings.

She peeked her head around the door again...they were still at it, kissing and groping at each other. She wasn't sure what on earth she should do. The bread was surely going to burn if she didn't get back into the kitchen.

"Oh Damn it, of all times for them to get caught up in the heat of passion." She thought to herself.

She marched right into the kitchen and in her usual style she exclaimed "Looks to me as though I should have brought more ice, things are certainly heating up in here and it isn't the bread in the oven I'm talking about. You two are on FIRE!"

Beryl thought the looks on her friends faces was definitely worth burning some bread over.

**The end. **

**I couldn't write something angsty tonight, I needed something to pick me up. Not that this was all that great anyway. Thanks anon it was fun. Thanks Monalove, your idea for burning Charles worked out in the end ;-).**


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